Reliability: Does anything else BEAT a S&W 3rd Gen. auto?

[heekma]

Hi folks,

I know this is a S&W forum, heck I'm here like everyone else because I really enjoy them. That being said, I've owned a fair number of handguns-some like SIG, Glock and Beretta were admirably reliable, but even so, none have been as reliable as my 3rd Gen. S&W autos.

These guns just work...and work...and work...and keep working. I've been shooting for a fair number of years, never seen this kind of rock-solid reliability.

When the sheep hits the fan, I'll grab a S&W.

Anybody else have a S&W auto "Out SIG a SIG or Out Glock a Glock" in terms of reliability?

Outdoing those two brands is a difficult thing indeed, but I'd put my 5906 or 4506 against either of them all day long.

Best,

Heekma

 

[J. W.]

Nope, not so far. My Glock 19 is great. The two 1911's I own are superbly reliable, but required some tweaking right out of the box. Like my 1911's, my 4566 was extremely reliable and would feed empty cases as slick as hardball, but it did it with less required careful inspection and maintenance. It just plain did what was expecte of it everytime. Despite complaints one might have or preferences for other guns, the 3rd gen S&W's are superb examples of form, function and workmanship.

Turning that 4566 in when I left my last department left a hole in my soul I'm yet to fill!

 

[colt3374]

On my "to get list" 5906, 469,3913...

 

[StuperDan]

Glocks. .

 

[J. W.]

Glocks.

I very much disagree. Glocks are fine guns and at best equal the 3rd Gen's, but they are in no way more relaible. In fact, Glock has really screwed the pooch with their 4th Gen 9mm guns.

 

[sniper47]

Never had a problem with any of my Sig's.

 

[Dragon88]

My Gen 3.5 Glock 19 has never malfunctioned once that I can remember. Same for my G21SF. My Springer 1911 is 100% reliable with Metalform mags. I own two 3rd Gens, a 4006 and 4506. Both have had an occasional hiccup, but are generally reliable guns.

I would be comfortable with any of these guns, or some of my others, in a bad situation. However, I wish I could say otherwise, but the gun next to my bed right now is the Glock 21SF with a TLR-1.

 

[lhump1961]

I think Glocks are a good gun but also a lot, I mean a LOT of hype...all my Smiths go "bang" every time. Glocks have their following and that's fine but I can't lay my hand on something that offends my eye so badly! JMHO.

All of my Smith revolvers, 3rd gens and 1911's have outstanding reliability.

 

[mr.hipp]

92fs never gave me a reason to question its reliability. There is something about those 3rd gens that just feels more reliable. If I could I'd keep the 1006/4506-1 in the night stand but if I did shoot a home intruder my kid would probably go deaf in the process. So I've traded the 92fs for the 5906 as my nightstand buddy.
Now I'm a 4006 away from finishing my 3rd gen s&w semi-auto pistol collection.

DSCN3667 by bigg hipp, on Flickr

DSCN3669 by bigg hipp, on Flickr

 

[117]

S&W

I have been shooting and collecting 3rd Gens for many years. I currently own 3913,4013,4513,5906,4006,4566,1066 actually several duplicate models of each. I can honestly say I have never ever had any malfunction of any kind out of any 3rd Gen I have ever owned. I have had a few glocks over the years G19&23 and never had the 1st problem out of them either. I would say they are fairly equal at least for me in terms of reliability.....However the S&W are hands down more attractive and have a special place in my heart. The glocks are just tools to me.

 

[StuperDan]

Glocks. .

I was just yanking your legs. Please in the future ignore anything I post while drinking.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[MR.G]

I have owned a lot of guns over the last 40+ years. Some good, and some bad. Never had a reliability problem with a S&W semi-auto.

 

[scatterguy]

I have a CZ75B that is close but even it choked a couple of times on WWB ammo. I have put over 1500 rounds through my 5906 & 6906 without a glitch. Most of the ammo was cheap stuff like WWB, S&B, and Fed.

 

[sop]

Along with the various 3rd generation S&Ws I've owned over the years, none of my P-series Sigs (226s, 229s, 239 & 230s) have ever failed me. Still, the 5900 series guns are just exceptional, the most reliable and well-made firearms ever made.

My 5926 is the closest thing to my Sig 226/229 (in 9mm), only prettier, smoother, tougher, thinner and it just feels better in the hand. Twenty year old used Sigs always look their age, but beat up 5900 S&Ws just need a new grip, a spring and some polishing to look and run like new. And these days they cost half as much.

I used to trust my Glocks, but that new Glock 19 G4 I bought last Fall...the one that immediately needed a re-designed ejector so it wouldn't consistently spit hot brass in my face (recently another extractor, and who knows what else?, since it's still doing it)...left me wondering how they could needlessly screw up a new gun so badly.

 

[5906fan]

last range trip I ran 250 rds through my 5903 no coughs and my nephew ran the same through his 915 no trouble.
neither pistol have given any problem with around 1K rounds fired. shows no worrys at all

 

[Shadow1006]

My very first semiauto was 3rd gen S&W1006 has been very reliable and still is! I went on the collect all of them in the 10xx series and all have proven themselves worthy.

However, I wondered about theft or foriture if traveling...not wanting to loose one of my S&W's, I bought the Glock 29 and with a recoil stystem modification, to a Wolff non-captive rod and 21lb spring set this little puppy has also provided a very reliable platform from mild to full potential loads.

If S&W was to make the M&P 10mm, I would explore that one to see how it would compare to the rest of these...

 

[steamloco76]

3913, 5906, 6906, CS45, 4566 3rd Gen Smiths plus P6, P220 Sigs never choke on anything!! Haven't shot my CZ-75 (not B) enough to include it in that group, but it is promising. I only had on Glock, a 22 in 40 S&W and it was pretty ammo sensitive.

 

[waffenmac]

The bottom line is when Im holding any of my Smiths {4566 410 559 659 915} I indeed fell like Im holding a pistol and accuracy and reliabillity is Second to None.

 

[v-13]

I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. If you want a "pretty" gun then I guess a S&W might be the one. If you want an overpriced gun, then Sig Sauer is the one. But if you want a real self defense gun that does what it is suppose to, and is meant to do the job it was designed to do, then Glock is THE one, without question.

 

[waffenmac]

3913, 5906, 6906, CS45, 4566 3rd Gen Smiths plus P6, P220 Sigs never choke on anything!! Haven't shot my CZ-75 (not B) enough to include it in that group, but it is promising. I only had on Glock, a 22 in 40 S&W and it was pretty ammo sensitive.

I brought my cz 75 not b either, back from germany in 1990 and it is as reliable as my Smiths but it is also an all steel metal gun.And only paid 175.00 to boot.